Do you get health insurance on unemployment with NYS Department of Labor benefits?

Thank you! I didn't know unemployment income would help me qualify for the Essential Plan. Is there a specific income limit I need to be under?

Wait I'm confused - does my unemployment money count as income when they calculate if I qualify? I thought it might disqualify me from getting help.

Yes, unemployment benefits count as income, but the amounts are usually low enough that most people still qualify for subsidized coverage. Don't assume you won't qualify - just apply and let them calculate it.

Never heard of that service before but might be worth trying. The state health marketplace phone system is definitely frustrating to deal with.

This is such great advice! I wish I had thought to set up the account beforehand. Quick question - when you say the income verification needed your unemployment benefit letter from NYSDOL, did you have to wait until you actually started receiving benefits to apply, or could you apply as soon as you got the determination letter? I'm trying to figure out the timing since there's usually a waiting period before benefits start. Also really appreciate the heads up about dental and vision being separate - I definitely have some dental work I've been putting off that I'll need to address once I get coverage sorted out.

@Sofia Morales You can actually apply as soon as you get your unemployment determination letter - you don t'have to wait for the first payment to come through! The NY State of Health application asks for your expected monthly income, so you can use the weekly benefit amount from your determination letter and multiply by 4.33 to get the monthly amount. I applied right after getting my determination and just uploaded a photo of that letter as income verification. They processed it before my first unemployment payment even arrived, so my health coverage started almost immediately. Definitely get that dental work scheduled once your coverage kicks in - Essential Plan covers a decent amount of basic dental care!

This is really important information that more people should know about! I had no idea that hospitals were required to offer financial assistance programs. When you went to the ER, did you have to apply for the discount beforehand or were you able to get it applied after the fact? I'm asking because I've been putting off seeing a doctor about some issues I've been having since losing my job, but if there are options to help with costs even without insurance, maybe I shouldn't wait. Also, do you know if urgent care centers typically have similar programs, or is it mainly just hospitals?

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after my ER visit and they still honored it. Most hospitals have a financial counselor or billing department that handles these applications. For urgent care, it varies by provider - larger chains like CityMD sometimes have assistance programs, but smaller independent clinics might not. Your best bet is to call ahead and ask about their financial assistance policies. Also, if you have ongoing health issues, don t'wait too long - many community health centers in NY offer sliding scale fees based on income and some even have same-day appointments. You can find them at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Better to get care now than let something get worse while you re'getting your insurance sorted out!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after getting my ER bill and they were able to retroactively apply the discount. Most hospitals have a financial counselor you can speak with, and they ll'walk you through the application process. It typically just requires proof of income or (lack thereof ,)so your unemployment documentation works perfectly. As for urgent care, it varies - some are part of larger health systems that offer assistance programs, while smaller independent clinics might not have formal programs but may still work out payment plans. I d'recommend calling ahead and asking about financial assistance options before your visit. Don t'delay getting care you need though - your health is too important, and there are definitely ways to make it affordable even while unemployed!

@Ava Rodriguez I applied for the financial assistance after receiving the bill, but many hospitals can also help you apply beforehand if you know you ll'need care. Most hospital websites have a financial "assistance or" charity "care section" where you can download the application. For urgent care, it varies - some independent urgent care centers have their own assistance programs, while others that are part of hospital systems often use the same financial assistance programs as their parent hospital. Community health centers FQHCs (are) another great option - they re'federally funded and required to provide care on a sliding fee scale based on your income. You can find ones near you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Don t'put off medical care - even if you end up with some costs, most places will work with you on payment plans, especially when you can show unemployment documentation.

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after my ER visit and they retroactively applied the discount to my bill. Most hospitals are required by law to have these programs and will work with you on payment plans. For urgent care, it varies by location - the larger chains like CityMD often have some form of financial assistance, but smaller independent urgent cares might not have formal programs though (many will still negotiate if you explain your situation .)If you re'having health issues, definitely don t'wait - many community health centers also offer sliding scale fees based on income and some even have same-day appointments. You can find federally qualified health centers near you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov that are specifically designed to serve people regardless of ability to pay.

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - most hospitals have financial counselors who can help you with the paperwork. I applied after my ER visit by going to the hospital s'billing department with my unemployment letter and bank statements. For urgent care, it varies - some independent urgent care centers have their own assistance programs, while others that are part of larger health systems usually follow the same charity care policies as their parent hospitals. I d'suggest calling ahead and asking about financial assistance options before your visit. Also, many community health centers FQHCs (use) sliding fee scales based on income and are specifically designed to serve people who are uninsured or underinsured. You can find them at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Don t'put off needed medical care - there really are programs out there to help!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance after receiving care! Most hospitals have a financial counselor who can help you apply even after you ve'been treated. I applied about a week after my ER visit by bringing my unemployment letter and they retroactively applied the discount. For urgent care, it varies - some larger chains like CityMD have assistance programs, but smaller independent urgent cares might not. Community health centers FQHCs (are) your best bet for sliding scale fees based on income. You can find them at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Don t'put off necessary care - most places would rather work with you on payment than have you avoid treatment!

@Ava Rodriguez You can typically apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after my ER visit and they were able to retroactively apply the discount to my bill. Most hospitals have a financial counselor or billing department that handles these applications. You usually just need to provide proof of income or (lack thereof like) your unemployment documentation. For urgent care centers, it varies by location - many larger urgent care chains do have financial assistance programs, but smaller independent ones might not. I d'recommend calling ahead to ask about their financial assistance policies before your visit. Also, many community health centers offer sliding scale fees based on income and some even have programs specifically for unemployed individuals. Don t'let cost concerns stop you from getting medical care you need - there are definitely options out there to help make it more affordable!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care! I applied after my ER visit - they gave me paperwork at discharge and I had 30 days to submit it with my unemployment documentation. Got approved and the discount was applied retroactively. Most hospitals are required by law to have charity care programs, but urgent care centers vary - some do, some don t.'I d'recommend calling ahead to ask about financial assistance programs before your visit. Also, many community health centers offer sliding scale fees based on income and accept patients regardless of insurance status. Don t'put off necessary medical care - there really are options to help make it affordable even while you re'unemployed!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance after receiving care - most hospitals have financial counselors who can help you apply even after you ve'been treated. I applied about a week after my ER visit and they retroactively applied the discount to my bill. For urgent care, it varies by location, but many do have sliding scale fees or payment plans if you ask. Community health centers are another great option - they re'federally funded and required to provide care on a sliding fee scale based on income. You can find them at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Don t'put off care you need - most providers would rather work with you on payment than have you avoid treatment altogether!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after my ER visit and they were able to retroactively apply the discount to my bill. Most hospitals have a financial counselor who can help you with the application, and they re'required to post their charity care policies on their websites. For urgent care centers, it varies - the larger chains like CityMD often have similar programs, but smaller independent urgent cares might not. I d'recommend calling ahead to ask about financial assistance options. Also, don t'forget about community health centers FQHCs (-) they re'specifically designed to serve people regardless of ability to pay and use a sliding fee scale based on your income. You can find locations at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Please don t'delay getting medical care you need - there are definitely options to help make it affordable even while you re'between jobs!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care! When I went to the ER, I told them upfront that I was unemployed and asked about financial assistance. They gave me paperwork to fill out right there, and I just needed to show my unemployment letter and bank statements. The discount was applied before I even left the hospital. Most hospitals are legally required under the Affordable Care Act to have charity care policies, but urgent care centers vary - some do, some don t.'I d'recommend calling ahead and asking about their financial assistance programs. Also, many community health centers offer sliding scale fees based on income and some federally qualified health centers FQHCs (are) specifically designed to serve low-income patients. Don t'put off care you need - your health is too important, and there really are programs to help!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after my ER visit and they still gave me the discount. Most hospitals have a financial counselor or patient advocate who can help you with the application. Just bring documentation of your unemployment benefits and they can often approve assistance on the spot. For urgent care, it varies by location - the larger chains like CityMD often have some form of payment assistance, but smaller independent urgent cares might not have formal programs. I d'recommend calling ahead to ask about their policies. Don t'put off necessary medical care - even if you end up with a bill, most places will work with you on payment plans, especially when you show you re'actively looking for work and dealing with temporary unemployment.

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - most hospitals have financial counselors who can help you apply on the spot or you can submit paperwork later. I applied after my ER visit by filling out their charity care application and providing my unemployment documents. For urgent care, it varies by location - some independent urgent cares offer payment plans or sliding scale fees, while others especially (chains may) not have formal programs. Community health centers are another great option - they re'federally qualified and required to offer care on a sliding fee scale based on income. You can find ones near you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Don t'put off care you need - many places would rather work with you on payment than have you avoid treatment altogether!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care! When I went to the ER, I applied after the fact - they gave me a financial assistance application form when I got the bill. Most hospitals have to post their charity care policies online, so you can check before you go. For urgent care, it varies - corporate chains like CityMD sometimes have limited assistance programs, but community health centers are your best bet for sliding-scale fees based on income. Don t'put off medical care though - many community health centers will see you regardless of ability to pay and work out payment plans. You can find federally qualified health centers near you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Your health is more important than worrying about the cost!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after my ER visit and they retroactively applied the discount to my bill. Most hospitals are required by law to have charity care programs, and many urgent care centers have similar programs too, though they re'not always as comprehensive. I d'definitely recommend calling ahead to any facility you re'considering and asking about their financial assistance options. You can also look up charity "care or" financial "assistance on" their website - most have applications you can download. Don t'let cost concerns keep you from getting medical care you need! Even community health centers often offer sliding scale fees based on income, and some are specifically designed to serve people who are unemployed or underinsured.

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after my ER visit and they were able to apply the discount retroactively. Most hospitals have financial counselors who can walk you through the process. Don t'put off seeing a doctor if you have health concerns! Many urgent care centers do have similar programs, though they might not be as comprehensive as hospital charity care programs. Community health centers FQHCs (are) also great options - they re'specifically designed to serve people regardless of ability to pay and use a sliding fee scale based on income. You can find ones near you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Even if you re'in the process of getting insurance through NY State of Health, getting medical care you need now is important for your health and usually there are ways to make it affordable.

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care! When I went to the ER, I didn t'know about it beforehand, but the billing department told me about their charity care program when I called about the bill. I filled out the application with my unemployment documentation and got approved within a week. Most hospitals are required by law to have these programs and provide information about them. For urgent care, it varies by location - the larger chains like CityMD often have financial assistance programs too, but smaller independent urgent cares might not. I d'recommend calling ahead and asking about payment options or sliding scale fees. Also, many community health centers offer services on a sliding scale based on income and some even have same-day appointments. Don t'put off needed medical care - there are definitely options out there to help make it affordable even while you re'between jobs!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance after the fact! Most hospitals will work with you on payment plans or discounts even after you ve'received care. When I went to the ER, I just told them at check-in that I was unemployed and asked about financial assistance options. They gave me paperwork to fill out and I submitted it with my unemployment benefit letter within 30 days of the visit. As for urgent care centers, many do have similar programs but it varies by location - the larger chains like CityMD often have financial assistance policies, while smaller independent urgent cares might just offer payment plans. Don t'put off getting medical care you need! Even if you end up with some out-of-pocket costs, most places are very willing to work with people who are between jobs.

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance after getting the bill - most hospitals have patient financial services departments that will work with you retroactively. I applied about 2 weeks after my ER visit when I got the bill and they backdated the discount. For urgent care, it varies by provider. The big chains like CityMD sometimes have payment plans, but smaller independent urgent cares might be more flexible with cash discounts if you explain your situation upfront. Also check if there are any federally qualified health centers FQHCs (near) you - they re'required to see patients regardless of ability to pay and use sliding fee scales based on income. Don t'put off medical care - there are definitely options out there!

@Ava Rodriguez You can usually apply for financial assistance either before or after receiving care - I applied after my ER visit and they were able to retroactively apply the discount to my bill. Most hospitals are required by law to have charity care programs and they have to make the application process reasonably accessible. For urgent care, it varies - many larger urgent care chains have similar programs, but smaller independent ones might not. I d'recommend calling ahead to ask about financial assistance options, or you can usually find information on their website. Also, don t'forget about community health centers FQHCs (-) they re'specifically designed to provide care on a sliding fee scale based on income, so they might be a good option while you re'getting your insurance sorted out. You can find local community health centers at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.